


Swimming Lessons! Hinata becomes the swimsei

by emmadilla



Series: 30 Day OTP Challenge [11]
Category: Naruto
Genre: 30 Day OTP Challenge, Blushing, F/M, Naruto is Just Naruto, Swimming, swimming lessons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-16 02:29:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17540945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmadilla/pseuds/emmadilla
Summary: When Hinata notices that Naruto doesn't know how to properly swim, she offers to teach him the technique. Naruto tries, he really does.





	Swimming Lessons! Hinata becomes the swimsei

**Author's Note:**

> 30 Day OTP Challenge
> 
> Day 11: Swimming

Naruto was talented in quite a few ways. His shadow clone was most well known, of course, and his rasengan was truly something to be feared. He also had incredible chakra control, to the point where, realistically, he didn’t really _need_ to know how to swim properly. And, should he need to, his doggy paddle was perfectly sufficient. But as far as actual technique, he was lacking.

 

All he needed, though, was a good teacher.

 

After noticing his strange way of swimming, Hinata worked up the courage to approach him about it. “Naruto, I couldn’t help but notice how you were swimming yesterday.”

 

“Oh yeah? Why didn’t you join in! It was a lot of fun!”

 

Hinata’s cheeks turned pink at the thought, and she smiled softly. “I didn’t have anything to swim in, and Neji was expecting me so we could practice together.”

 

“Ah, that’s too bad.”

 

She nodded. “Yes. Well, um, if we do get a chance to go swimming together … maybe I could show you how to swim properly?”

 

“Huh? What’s wrong with my swimming?”

 

She giggled, biting her lip slightly as she answered, “It’s just … you were only doggy paddling. Do you not know correct swimming form?”

 

“Eh,” Naruto shrugged. “Never really had anyone to show me. And besides, I’ve never really _needed_ to know.”

 

“What if you’re on a mission?”

 

“I’ll use my chakra!”

 

“Oh. Um, but what if your chakra gets depleted?”

 

She had him there. He hemmed and hawed for a few moments, trying to come up with something, but drawing a blank. He shrugged and then gave her a big smile. “Well I guess that means you’ll have to be my swimming sensei, then! My … swimsei?”

 

Hinata erupted into a fit of giggles, which made him chuckle, which only made her blush harder. Their next scheduled time off was in a few days, and the weather was still supposed to be warm, more than enough to justify swimming, and so they decided to meet at the lake then.

 

Sooner than later, the warm, balmy day arrived, and Hinata gathered the things she would need, opting to wear her swimming clothes under her regular ones, the thought of having to change in front of Naruto enough to make her flush a dark red. No, no, best to already be ready when she arrived. After all, if she were to faint in the water, she would rather it be around a more competent swimmer. Not that Naruto couldn’t take care of the situation, but still … his solutions tended to be a bit unconventional, and more often than not created problems for other people to clean up, problems that he was often oblivious to.

 

Naruto had beat her to the lake, but only just. He was already stretching in his trunks and he gave her a thumbs up as she approached. “Ready for my swimming lesson, swimsei!”

 

Hinata couldn’t help the giggle and the light flush that coloured her cheeks as she set down her things and shyly stripped down to her swimming clothes. She was determined to be thorough and _professional_ about this whole thing, though, no matter how much she just wanted to watch Naruto’s body as it sliced through the water …

 

She cleared her throat to interrupt her own line of thinking, leading them both into the lake until they were standing in water about chest high. First things first, she started off with the bare basics … blowing bubbles, breathing regulation, and setting rhythm. Naruto caught on more than well when it came to the bubbles, the breathing was pretty easy, but the rhythm did not exactly come easy to him. “It’s just kinda a lot to think about,” he pouted. “Keeping track of where your arms and head are and when you can breathe … seems like a lot of work just to have some fun.”

 

“Well, when you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature. Like the jutsus you learn.”

 

“Yeah but jutsus are cool and fun to learn.”

 

Hinata gasped in mock outrage. “Are you saying this isn’t cool or fun to learn, Naruto?”

 

The fact that he had low-key insulted his friend completely escaped him. He simply grinned widely as he replied, “Not when I can already do _this_!” With that, he jumped up, straight up out of the water, and he immediately concentrated the chakra on his feet as he landed calmly before he took off in a run across the top of the water. Letting out a whoop, he did a full lap around the lake before he came back to Hinata, who simply stood in the water, shaking her head.

 

“Chakra control is very important, but swimming is also an important skill for a ninja to have.”

 

Grumbling softly, Naruto went back to practicing his rhythm, trying his best to commit it to memory so he could perform it when he actually started to swim. After a good amount of practice, he finally started to get the hang of it. Not in any kind of a masterful or skillful way, but it was _sufficient_. Good enough for Hinata to clap and give him praise. “Alright, now that I have this down, can we get to some actual swimming?”

 

And how could Hinata refuse when he smiled at her like that? Blushing again, she nodded, refreshing him on the rhythm and how it would incorporate it into swimming. She even demonstrated it for him as she swam around him, slow enough so he could observe the technique in action. She did her best to _not_ think about how Naruto was closely watching her, if she did she was afraid she just might pass out mid-stroke. As she stopped and reached out to touch the bottom so she could stand once more, she asked, “You wanna give it a try, Naruto?”

 

“Sure!” he exclaimed, lining himself up so he could, in his mind, take off swimming and show Hinata he really could do this. As in all things, Naruto was fearless, if not necessarily skilled. He actually managed to maintain his rhythm for several strokes before he lost his concentration and started splashing and sputtering around. Hinata giggled softly as she watched him struggle, right himself and wiping off his face before he went at it again, able to make it about the same distance before, once again, he got distracted and lost it. She offered him some more pointers, and he tried again, and again, and again. And while he was able to make it short distances swimming properly, his style started devolving until it was some sort of amalgamation between the proper technique and his doggy paddle. Sighing, Hinata kept at it, encouraging him and correcting him gently, but it soon became apparent than Naruto was quickly losing interest in this endeavour.

 

Throwing all caution to the wind, he yelled, “Hey, Hinata, watch _this_!” And, instead of using the techniques she had just taught him, he used his chakra manipulation abilities to move the water around him, almost reminiscent of his rasengan, if he was in the middle of the rasengan.

 

Shaking her head, Hinata muttered, “Oh, Naruto …” Being his swimming sensei was a lot tougher job than she’d initially thought. She might have to consult Kakashi or Jiraiya on how they controlled him and made him listen. But, as she watched him with a soft smile, she did muse on how nice it was to see him happy and enjoying himself. And that, she supposed, she would take as a victory.


End file.
